A (Dark) Family Get-Together (Cordana, Dax)

[Deleted]

It was funny how one moment life seemed bleak and the next a bit of good news came one's way. The McGonagall kidnap plot failed and the Black Army would have to re-group. It was a great setback indeed.

But then there was the visit from Morgaine and her revelation that his Vanessa was alive and working in Diagon. As happy as he was, it made him ponder... how long had Vanessa been in London? Had she attended Hogwarts? If so, she would have been there with Dax for six of his seven years. Vincent began to wonder if his son had some explaining to do. While it was understandable that Dax might have never saw his sister due to the mass number of students at the school, Vincent decided not to let it slide based off such a possibility.

Vincent marched to his private office, turning to his secretary before stepping into it.

"Have my wife and son located," he said. "And have them meet me in here right away." As he stepped into his office, his secretary went about the matter.

CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO DAX VINCENT VELTRINO

[DAX VINCENT VELTRINO]

Dax had been playing around a bit with a couple o poisons up in room. He'd always liked doing such things and maybe that was strange but it was a hobby that he turned into a slight profession, well one that he didn't make much money off but something that he called a profession nonetheless. Dax was fairly private though and only shared things with people who mattered. When he got through creating or modifying a potion he'd share it with his father. He'd allow it's use for things that were not so pleasant.

As he worked carefully with some ingredients with steady hands a knock came to the door. Unable to quite look up or even move away he told whoever it was to come in. His father's secretary told him that his father wanted to see him in his office right away. A heavy sigh came from Dax as he finished the ingredients. 'That's the most annoying thing when I'm working on something and he wants to see him right away, it's always right away, why never in an hour or two,” he said shaking his head. ”Nevermind, I'll be right there,” he told her.

He pulled his cauldron from the flame and turned it off with a wave of his wand. ”I'm going to murder him if this potion doesn't turn out right,” he said as he closed his bedroom door and went up to his father's private office. This had better be good if his father was interrupting him from his work. This was what he did and his father seemed to find some way to interrupt it each time. Dax should have the right mind to just move out.

He didn't even bother knocking on the door before he entered. ”I was told to come see you right away while I was working on some work, so what is it?” he asked in a slightly snarky tone. He always got agitated when he was working for on his potions and he was interrupted. This wouldn't be a question of why he was agitated but why people insist upon bothering him for whatever it was that they needed.

Words: 363
Tagged: @vincentveltrino
Notes:

[CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO]

Cordana was standing out on the balcony of her office, sipping some wine as she looked out at the surrounding area. She was thinking over the recent news about her daughter and the plans of the Black Army. She stood straight up and finished the rest of the glass before turning hearing the door open. Her husband's secretary walked through the door and announced that Vincent requested she and Dax's presence immediately.

"What now?" she asked more to herself than the secretary. She handed the secretary her empty glass, and headed out her door and on over to her husband's office. She opened the door and saw Dax standing there, clearly annoyed at being requested to be there. She put a hand on her son's shoulder and did the sort of air cheek kiss movement. "Hello Dax, dear." she said in that sickeningly sweet upper class mother sort of way. She moved closer to the desk.

"Darling, what is it that is so urgent you called for us to be here immediately?" she asked him before sitting in one of the empty chairs in his office and crossing her legs.

[Deleted]

Vincent couldn't really be angry at his son for Dax's snarky tone. Dax was proof that a bad apple didn't fall far from the tree. However, Vincent was also a proud man and didn't want his son disrespected either.

"You can play with your potions later, son," he said. "This is of the utmost importance."

When his wife entered and asked what was so urgent, Vincent turned to her.

"I wanted you here when I informed your son that his sister has been found..." he said. "And to be present when I asked him a few questions as well." Vincent sat and motioned for his son to sit down, and it wasn't a request.

"Vanessa is not only alive, but has been working in Diagon Alley," he said. "Which brings me to assume she had attended Hogwarts. If I am correct about this, and I am positive I am, then that means for a number of the years you were there, you and she occupied the same structure." He then drew closer. "All that time... and you never saw her?"

CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO DAX VINCENT VELTRINO

[DAX VINCENT VELTRINO]

Dax raised a brow when his father mentioned that he could play with his potions later. Play? Really? Dax could easily boil up on that. ”I do not play with my potions, I work on my potions, anything that is of utmost importance could be far away from whatever I was working on,” he told him with a bit of a roll of his eyes. His mother had walked in the room just after and her hand graced his shoulder before she gave an air kiss towards his cheek. ”Hello Dax, dear.” Maybe having Vanessa back wouldn't be so bad, maybe the attention would no longer be all upon him.

”Darling, what is it that is so urgent you called for us to be here immediately?” Cordana had asked and his father's reply gave him a bit of a shock. ”I wanted you here for when I informed your son that his sister has been found... And to be present when I asked him a few questions as well.” Why was Vanessa so stupid, why was she not off elsewhere in the world rather than where she could be found by people of the Black Army. She didn't want this life she should have just gone away. His father motioned for him to sit down and he knew better than to not follow such a request. He took a seat next to his mother.

”Vanessa is not only alive, but has been working in Diagon Alley. Which brings me to assume she had attended Hogwarts. If I am correct about this, and I am positive I am, then that means for a number of the years you were there, you and she occupied the same structure. All that time... and you never saw her?” So very accusatory. Dax looked at his father, sure he wasn't surprised that Vanessa was alive, but he did have the surprised look of finding out news that he didn't know previously. But to say that he had essentially left out information from his parents all these years well he was kind of hurt, even if it was true. ”Same structure, hundreds of students, she wouldn't be so stupid to go about calling herself Vanessa Veltrino, would she? Nor would she have been silly enough to sort into Slytherin, so yeah, few years difference, I'm assuming a name change, and different houses, I'm saying all that time I never saw her, besides I don't get it, she doesn't want to be a part of this family, why fight so hard to bring her back? You have a perfectly good child right here,” he told them.

Words: 440
Tagged: @vincentveltrino CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO
Notes:

[CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO]

Cordana sat back in her chair, sipping her wine as she listened to the conversation. She understood now why she was there, but Dax was their 'good' child, the one who stayed at their side and was working with them. She was sure he would have told them had he met Vanessa at Hogwarts. Luckily Dax said as much and he was clearly hurt by the accusations that he knew Vanessa was still alive and kept it a secret.

She turned to him, placing her hand on his. "Darling, you are very special and irreplaceable to us." she said to her son. "But Vanessa has to play her part in this family as well." she said. "I labored for 23 hours for that child, the least she could do for this family is return and do what we ask of her." she scoffed.

She looked up to Vincent. "That being said, I am sure our boy would not have kept such a thing from us." she said. She turned to Dax. "Right darling?" she asked him. She wasn't the best mother, in fact wasn't much of one, but to the child that fell in line she would do anything for him.

[Deleted]

Vincent gave his son a cold look for talking back. He wondered who had given him more grief over the years- his run-away daughter or the one who stuck about.

"While you are here, son, you will answer my every call and leave when I choose to dismiss you, regardless of what you are doing," he said. "Or else you will be more than permitted to practice your potions in the slums near Knockturn. Am I clear?"

He then listened as Dax defended himself regarding the accusation that he knew she was at Hogwarts. Vincent then sighed as Dax asked why it was so important that she as brought back, and that he was sufficient enough a child for them. But before he could respond, Cordana did so. She was a bit warmer to their son than he was, and he didn't want to argue with his wife. Nothing good ever came of that. For now he would accept that Dax didn't know.

"Very well," he said to them both. "For now I will bring myself to believe that you were ignorant of her existence at Hogwarts. However, the fact is that now all three of us know that she lives... and you, son, will be joining us in the effort to return her, whether you like it or not."

CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO DAX VINCENT VELTRINO

[DAX VINCENT VELTRINO]

Dax looked at his father carefully when he told him that he would answer every call that he made no matter what. And he gave him an alternative about practicing potions in Knockturn as a homeless person. ”Am I clear?” Dax gave a nod. ”Of course you're clear,” he was smart enough to not continue snapping at his father. The man wasn't going to continue tolerating it.

Dax's mother though was softer than his father. Maybe not the perfect mother but he was definitely more of a mama's boy than a daddy's boy. But she told him that he was irreplaceable to them. That wasn't something that he would ever hear from his father. But she spoke of how Vanessa needed to do her part for the family. He sighed and gave a nod.

”Very well. For now I will bring myself to believe that you were ignorant of her existence at Hogwarts. However, the fact is that all three of us know that she lives... and you, son, will be joining us in the effort to return her, whether you like it or not.” ”Sure, whatever I can do to help bring her home,” he said a bit sarcastically. He knew that wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do but he knew he would help out when he needed to despite him not wanting anything to do with her being home. ”So, what can I do to help?” he asked.

Words: 244
Tagged: CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO @vincentveltrino
Notes:

[CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO]

Cordana was satisfied with both her husband and her son backing down from fighting. What little heart she had did not like them to fight, so she was relieved. She took a sip from her cup before sitting up as Vincent discussed bringing Vanessa back home. "Good boy." she said with a warm smile to her son when he agreed to help and then asked what he can do.

She looked at Vincent. "Yes darling, do you have a plan to bring our dear daughter home to us?" she asked him curiously. "And when will we be taking care of it all?" she asked. She was eager to bring her daughter back, have her do what she must do.

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Vincent knew his son wanted to say something else to him, another rebellious remark. He also knew his son was smart enough not to. It gave the wicked man great delight putting the boy in his place. He nodded when Dax agreed with him.

Both Cordana and Dax then confronted him with just how to get Vanessa back. Vincent had a plan in motion. It seemed a simple enough one on the surface, but as with most things involving Vincent Veltrino, there was more to it.

"To begin, you will not be needed, Dax," he said. "I've hired some of the Black Army's lower ranked members to go after her. I don't expect them to catch her, but I do expect them to draw out whoever might be protecting her. Perhaps no one is, but I am not taking that risk. I will not have any of us walk into some trap laid by the Ministry or the Order of the Phoenix. Once we discover if she has any allies and just who they are, we take them out one by one. When she does indeed have no one, we take her."

Again, there was ice in Vincent's voice. He was a man obsessed with getting his daughter back.

CORDANA RAINE VELTRINO DAX VINCENT VELTRINO